


Lend Me Some Sugar, Neighbor

by PawPunk



Series: Everybody Needs Good Neighbors [1]
Category: Hermitcraft RPF
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Awkward Flirting, Bdubs is flustered, Bets & Wagers, Body Image, Chapter 1:, Chapter 2:, Chapter 3:, Chapter 4:, Chapter 5:, Chapter 6:, Chapter 7:, Chapter 8: - Freeform, Epilogue, F/M, Female Friendship, Finally getting together, Fluff, Fluffiness, Getting Together, Makeover, Making a Bet, Manipulation, Matchmaking, Meet-Cute, Moving, Moving In Together, Prompt: Interracial Relationship, Self Confidence Issues, Slow Dancing, Teasing, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, a lil bit of angst, actually p much everyone in this fic is probably autistic, adorableness, and also makes some friends, autistic stress, basically its hhhhh fluffie, bdubs being a gentleman, chapter specific tags will be added as necessary, doc finally gets his money, doc is a master manipulator, doc thinks hes very evil but hes not, doc's crocs, friendly teasing, gardener! stress, i dont know how to write neurotypicals, or meet ugly depends on your perspective, roasting actually, stress goes out for dinner w her new friends, stress has an "oh no he's hot" moment about bdubs, stress is cute as FUCK, written for the banned together bingo event
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:21:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26041861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PawPunk/pseuds/PawPunk
Summary: When Stressmonster moves in to Hermit Hollows, her new neighbor Bdubs is immediately smitten, but it will take some expert meddling to actually get the two to admit their feelings.Written for the Banned Together Bingo event. Prompt: Interracial Relationships.Overarching trigger warnings: swearing, some non-explicit sexual jokes
Relationships: Gridoc, jleo, major:, mentioned:, stressdubs
Series: Everybody Needs Good Neighbors [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2170194
Comments: 40
Kudos: 87
Collections: Banned Together Bingo 2020





	1. Girl Next Door

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter written from Bdubs' POV  
> Trigger warnings: painfully awkward first meeting, some friendly teasing between roommates. Nothing basically

You could tell the person moving in across the street was being loud because Etho was up at the same time as Bdubs. He slurped a cup of boiling hot coffee, the drops steaming as they dribbled down the mug and onto the table. Bdubs pointedly tossed him a napkin as he poured himself a bowl of cereal.

“G-d, could that asshole be any more loud?” Etho griped. 

“Probably,” Bdubs said. “But don’t encourage them.” Etho laughed humorlessly, wiping his mouth and fixing his mask securely over his face. 

“I just hope they don’t wake up Doc. That’d be a nasty introduction to the neighborhood,” Etho said as he washed out his mug.

“You’re not gonna have anything else for breakfast?” Bdubs said.

“Don’t judge me, dude,” Etho said. “We can’t all be kings of self care.” Bdubs rolled his eyes. He missed being awake before everyone else in the house.

Suddenly, there was a loud metallic crash from outside, and the new neighbor swearing so loud they could hear it from across the street and through their closed window. Etho raised his eyes at Bdubs.

“I’m gonna go tell them to quiet down,” Bdubs announced. He grabbed Doc’s crocs, because he wasn’t going to put on socks for some asshole who woke his housemates up during HIS alone time. Bdubs grabbed a key and stormed outside. 

The air outside was misty and smelled of rain, but the loud clunking of their new neighbor dragging their furniture up the sidewalk kind of ruined the vibe. Bdubs stomped around the U-Haul trailer, attached to an insipid little electric car, and prepared to totally chew this dude out.

“Hey, what’s with all the noise? It’s too-” Bdubs began to say, but he cut off as he rounded the car and nearly ran into his new neighbor. She- she was a girl?- stumbled back, bracing herself against the metal door of the trailer. 

“I’m really sorry,” she giggled nervously, lowering her brown eyes. “I don’t really have anyone to help me move, so I have to drag the stuff, you know?” She swallowed, tucking a lock of short brown hair under the bandanna she’d tied around her head. “But anyway, I’m sorry, I’ll try to be quieter.”

“Oh, no, I’m sorry,” Bdubs said quickly. He mentally cursed himself for thinking such mean things about the new neighbor. He had been imagining some brute in a sweaty tank top, threatening and yelling at his friends when their dogs started barking. The real new neighbor was… not like that. “Um, I could help you move things in, if you don’t mind,” Bdubs choked out.

“Oh!” If  _ you _ don’t mind, that would be great,” the woman said, sighing with relief and blessing Bdubs with a nervous little smile. Her teeth were very white. __

“Yeah, um- what do you need help with?” Bdubs made the conscious choice to close his mouth, not trusting himself not to gape like an idiot. 

“Around here,” the new neighbor said, leading him up the cracked cement walkway to a large IKEA box, way too big for one person to carry, on the ground. Bdubs picked up one side and the new neighbor picked up the other.

“It goes in the kitchen,” she explained, as Bdubs walked backwards up the stairs to the porch. As he backed into the bare room, the neighbor added, “I can’t believe I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Stressmonster, or just Stress.” She paused, then added, “…It’s a nickname.”

“My friends call me Bdubs,” Bdubs said. “It’s also a nickname.” He chuckled awkwardly. They set down the box among a pile of other, smaller boxes, and Bdubs extended a hand to Stress. She stared at him in confusion, then turned around.

“I still need to move my suitcases in,” she said. Bdubs shoved his hand in his pocket, staring anywhere but at his new neighbor. He’d never really thought about the house across the street, but as he looked at the small kitchen and rough wooden floors, he had to wonder why Stress was moving in, apparently alone, to such a beat-up old place.

“So, what brings you to Hermit Hollows?” Bdubs asked as Stress passed him an overstuffed duffel bag. He almost dropped it, but he managed to prop it up on his shoulder before he made himself out to be a total weakling in front of this cute girl. 

“To be honest, this house is the cheapest property I could own that wasn’t in the middle of nowhere or an active war zone. I can’t wait to fix it up!” Stress bubbled. 

“Are you going to fix it up on your own, too?” Bdubs asked, trying not to gasp with the effort of lifting the bag. Stress was carrying an only slightly smaller box with no problem. The stairs creaked as she trotted up.

“Well, yeah,” she said. “It’s not like it has mold, or rats, or anything. It just needs some paint, maybe some new lights, and some TLC!” Stress set her box down in the kitchen. “Can you bring that up to the attic?”

“Of course,” Bdubs said. He struggled up the first flight of stairs, then set Stress’s bag down and pulled it up the last flight. He sat down on the attic floor, rolling the bag closer to the center of the room. Hopefully there was nothing fragile in there, he thought.

As Bdubs caught his breath, he looked around the room. The attic was dusty and filled with cobwebs, but light streamed through the dormer window at the front of the house, making the room the opposite of creepy. More boxes lay on the ground, as well as a bare mattress. So, Stress was going to sleep way up here? An unconventional choice, but as he thought about it, the idea really appealed to him. Without knowing why, Bdubs grinned.

“Bdubs, are you still up there?” The man leaped to his feet.

“Yeah, I’m coming down right now!” he lied. He sprinted down the stairs, brushing the dust off his pants and slowing as Stress came into view. She was waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs. She’d taken off her pink jacket and tossed it on the floor. She was wearing a white tank top with some kind of gym logo on it and tight blue shorts. Bdubs looked away. “Anything else to bring in?”

“Nothing heavy,” Stress shrugged.

“I can still help,” Bdubs said softly. “But if you want me to leave-“

“No, help me with as many boring chores as you want!” Stress laughed. “You are too sweet.” Bdubs giggled. He could feel his face going red. Was he that starved of complements? Or was he just going insane?

“Well, you know, I’m just- I’m trying to make a good first impression,” he stammered. Stress opened the door to her car and removed a basil plant that had been… buckled into the backseat? “You garden?” Bdubs asked, trying to keep from laughing at the sight.

“I do!” Stress said, her brown eyes lighting up. She passed Bdubs a box of spades, shears, and other tools- apparently he wasn’t trustworthy enough to carry her plant yet. “That’s half the reason why I wanted a house, so I can have a REAL garden.” 

Bdubs, at her direction, placed her tools on the dilapidated old porch. “What do you like to grow?” he asked, and Stress beamed even wider. Bdubs hadn’t seen a cuter person in his life. Maybe not even a cuter living thing. She was just so… enthusiastic.

“Flowers, of course,” she scoffed. “And herbs. Some fruits and vegetables- a lot of ordinary plants have a lot of cool properties, you don’t even know. Did you know lavender has antifungal compounds in it?”

“I did not!” Bdubs admitted. 

“And garlic has antibacterial properties, but it doesn’t smell as nice,” Stress added. “Really, the best way to stay healthy is to not be unhealthy in the first place, and herbs and flowers can help with that! Not to mention, the fresh air and exercise of taking care of all the plants.”

“It’ll be nice to have a gardener as a neighbor,” Bdubs said. “You know, have something pretty to look at when you look out the window.” He cringed at his phrasing. Did that make it sound like he was talking about Stress? … It wasn’t totally inaccurate. Bdubs cut those thoughts off. They weren’t necessary, he reminded himself as he began to blush.

“Well, um, if you don’t need anything else, I’ll be going,” Bdubs said before he could make a bigger fool of himself. “See you around.”

“Looking forward to it!” Stress chirped, and Bdubs’ heart gave an extra strong thump. 

“Okay, bye!” he yelped, turning and practically sprinting across the street to the house he shared with his friends. He slammed the door behind him, his heart pounding like he was being chased, but the first thing he did was throw open the curtains and stare out the window. Stress was in her own kitchen, loading dishes into a cupboard. Bdubs turned away from the window before she could look out and notice him staring.

“Did you give the neighbor a piece of your mind?” Bdubs yelped, turning to face Doc. He smirked, sipping his coffee. “Nice shoes, by the way.”

“You’re one to talk! They’re your shoes, after all,” Bdubs griped. He kicked the crocs off. “And I didn’t. Stress is actually pretty nice, just trying to move in on her own.”

“So, it’s a girl,” Doc noted.

“Shut up,” Bdubs said, blushing further. 

Doc looked up. “I didn’t mean anything,” he laughed, “But now I’m thinking I should have. What’s got you so red in the face, man?”

“Nothing!” Bdubs sputtered, going even redder. “You, sir, are making FALSE allegations! Absolute slander, this is! I was NOT this cruel to you when you had the hots for Grian!” 

“So, you have the hots for our new friend?”

“I never said that!” And with that, Bdubs stormed upstairs. 


	2. The Hatching of a Plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bdubs' and Doc's POV  
> Trigger warnings: slight manipulation, but not to hurt anyone

Night fell quickly. The lights were on in the little house across the street. “Do you think Stress has, like, food?” Bdubs mused aloud. 

“I’m sure she can take care of herself,” Etho grumbled. Bdubs ignored him as he rolled his eyes.

“I didn’t see her bring in any food,” Bdubs worried. “I’m gonna bring her something.”

“Dork,” Etho muttered.

“I am not,” Bdubs protested uselessly. “I’m just trying to make a good first impression on our neighbor.”

“Better than helping her move in?” Beef said.

“Yes,” Bdubs said resolutely. There was still a serving of spaghetti with pesto left in the pot from dinner- Bdubs really hoped Stress could eat it- and he twirled it into a bowl. This time, he put on real shoes (thank the lord Stress hadn’t noticed his crocs before) and trotted across the street to knock on her door.

“‘Ello?” Stress answered the door looking exhausted. There were bags under her dark copper eyes and dust in her glossy brown hair. Bdubs blinked, trying to remember why he was here. Oh, right! The pasta!

“I, um, figured you probably wouldn’t have anything to cook with, or, um, maybe you wouldn’t want to,” he coughed. “And I- me and my housemates- we had some pasta left over, and I thought hey, why not see if you want some? Is there anything you can’t eat? It’s got cheese in it.” Ugh, thought Bdubs. He sounded so lame.

“Oh, well, that’s sweet,” Stress said, taking the bowl. Her hand brushed his. It was warm and very calloused. Probably from gardening, he realized. “I actually just had some pasta, it’s easy to bring with you on a move, but this looks really good! Did you make it?”

“No, Beef did,” Bdubs said. “I, uh, I try to make healthier food, usually.” Did he sound judgmental? If he did, Stress didn’t let it show on her face. 

“Well, fank you!” Stress said. “Um, do you mind if I save the pasta for morning? I’ll bring the bowl back then.”

“No, no, not at all!” Bdubs assured her. “Um, I’ll be going. Have a nice night.”

“I will.” Stress moved to close the door, then opened it. “Also, I didn’t shake your hand earlier-“ she extended hers. Bdubs stared at it. 

“Oh, right! Um, it’s okay-“ he gave her hand a limp shake, trying not to linger too long. It made him feel all warm, despite the cold night. “Anyway, it’s getting late, I need to sleep-“ Stress cocked her head- “Goodnight!” And with that, Bdubs literally sprinted away. He did not stop sprinting until he had reached his bedroom and thrown himself down on his bed, facedown on the pillow. Muffled by the downy fluff, Bdubs released the scream of frustration he had been holding in. 

Doc was right. He DID have the hots for Stress, and it was completely inconvenient. The poor girl had just moved to Hermit Hollows, there was no way she’d be looking for a boyfriend. He was probably frightening her, or she thought he was a total moron. And to make matters worse, he had to be living with three other guys who would tease the hell out of him. Wonderful. It was all just WONDERFUL. For the first time in years, Bdubs couldn’t sleep.

He finally gave up at around 3am. He couldn’t turn on the lights without waking his housemates, so he wandered down the stairs with his arms like a mummy, lighting the way with his phone. He dragged out his half-finished log cabin model, but his hands were shaking too hard to accurately glue the transparent film to the the H0 scale window frames. Bdubs stood up to commit another crime he never thought he’d never commit- he brewed himself a cup of coffee. 

The sun rose as he drank the bitter liquid and assembled his model. At around the time he’d usually wake up, Doc trotted downstairs. 

“You’re drinking coffee?” he asked. 

“Yeah, I couldn’t sleep,” Bdubs said. Doc gaped. 

“Whatever happened to keeping a healthy sleep schedule?” Doc snorted.

“I didn’t choose to!” Bdubs protested. He drained the last of his coffee. “Look, you were right. You told me so.” He didn’t want to say more, but Doc had stopped fixing his breakfast to stare anxiously at him.

“I may have a small… infatuation with out new neighbor,” Bdubs admitted. “Don’t make fun of me! It’s just that she’s really cute and enthusiastic about everything and I don’t know, I just like her, okay?” He sighed, standing up from the table. “I’m just worried she thinks I’m a total loser.”

“Why would she think that?” Doc asked mildly. 

“Look, you weren’t there,” Bdubs said. He faced away from Doc, sighing. “I could hardly talk to her, and I almost dropped her bag. Besides, who just goes up to a stranger and asks to help them move in?”

“Probably a helpful individual that our new neighbor would like to spend more time with,” Doc shrugged. Bdubs groaned.

“You weren’t there!” he repeated.

“Look, man.” Doc stood up, pacing over to Bdubs. “You seem pretty freaked out about this whole situation, and I get that. Being in love can be scary.”

“I never said I was in love,” Bdubs pouted.

Doc continued over his protests. “But you do not need to worry. I am going to help you seduce Stress so you can sleep again- or maybe not.” Doc winked. Bdubs buried his head in his hands and groaned.

“How, exactly, do you plan to do that?” he asked. “Do I even want to know?”

Doc winked. “You’ll see.”

“That’s code for ‘I don’t know’, isn’t it?”

“It is not. I just need time, to, um.” Doc thought. “Solidify my plan.”

“You have no fucking idea how I’m going to get her to like me,” Bdubs guessed correctly.

“Just wait,” Doc said. “Try to rest. I will give you a plan before you go to sleep today.”

Bdubs muttered as he slunk away. Doc let a sly grin cross his face as ideas began popping into his head. They would take some work, but if he played it right Bdubs would have a much better chance with Stress. Doc walked to his room and grabbed his phone. He had a few text messages to send.

* * *

You —> Falsie

You: Have you met our new neighbor yet?

Falsie: I’ve seen her why

You: I think you and Cleo ought to make an effort to get to know her. It will make her feel safer to have female friends.

Falsie: Cleo can do it then

False: You know I can’t talk to people

You: I remember you saying you wanted more “Gal Pals”, though.

Falsie: I do

Falsie: But she wouldn’t like me anyway

You: I think you should find out if she does, before you assume such things.

Falsie: >:P

* * *

You —> Keralis

You: Are you in a gambling mood, my friend?

Keralis: Doc, you insult me :(

Keralis: I am ALWAYS in a gambling mood :(

You: Good, because I have a bet for you.

You: I believe I can make Bdubs do extra chores, change his wardrobe, and even stay up late, and he will thank me for it.

Keralis: I agree, except for staying up late

Keralis: I give you $100 if he does ALL those things

You: I thought you were rich :/

Keralis: Money is tight :)

Keralis: But I do $150 if you are really so sure

Keralis: Remember you pay me if he does not do even one of those things

You: I understand. I think I’ll buy some nice new shoes when I win our bet.

Keralis: Oh you are ON! >:3c


	3. Everybody Needs Good Neighbors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stress's POV  
> Trigger warnings: this chapter is barely more sexual than the others, mostly with regards to Stress going "oh no he's hot" about Bdubs.

Stress felt the sunlight on her face, streaming down from the large window in her room. She yawned, rolling over, and opened her eyes. The old attic had transformed wonderfully once she’d cleaned out the cobwebs and moved in her furniture. She still needed to insulate it, but that was a later project, maybe for a time when she could stay at someone else’s house for a few nights. Or maybe just after she got a sofa. 

Stress picked up her bullet journal and opened to her to-do list. She’d planned out everything she needed to repair the house, packaged in first daily, then weekly, then monthly goals. Today’s jobs- first, buy some actual furniture, not just the essentials she had brought with her. Second, get everything ready for her first day of work tomorrow. The last would be the hardest- greet as many of her neighbors as possible. She knew it would come in handy if she ever needed anything, but she had nowhere to start. 

Well, she’d spoken to the man across the street- Bdubs, he’d said his name was- but he hardly counted. They’d hardly spoken, and most of that was her blathering on about gardening. She needed to remember not to do that around her other neighbors. Stress doodled a morning glory in the margin of her checklist and colored it in with her highlighters. 

Throwing off her quilt, Stress stretched. Her back, sore from rearranging her furniture and cleaning every conceivable crack of the old house, made a loud cracking sound. She stood and trotted downstairs, still in her pajamas, to fix some breakfast. The move from the big city to the woodland town of Hermit Hollows had already improved her mood- she couldn’t help herself from smiling as she brewed her morning peppermint tea and made herself an egg sandwich. 

Stress brought her breakfast over to her lonely kitchen table and sat down in her only chair. It was a good thing she hadn’t made any friends here yet, there was nowhere for them to sit! She took a bite out of her sandwich and looked out the window. 

Bdubs was up already, and he was… washing his car? Stress craned her neck, then checked the time on her microwave’s clock. It was 7 in the morning, and Bdubs was outside in the cold air, scrubbing an old pickup truck. As Stress watched, he turned he hose off and stripped off his wet, soapy shirt, throwing it onto the grass with a grumble. His back muscles shifted under his skin. What an odd thing to do so early, Stress thought. Yes, that was why she was watching. 

Stress yelped as she missed her mouth with the teacup, spilling warm liquid on her chin and shirt. She pressed a napkin on the stain, awkwardly dabbing the tea away. She quickly finished her food and slunk upstairs to shower and change. For some reason, she found herself picking out one of her few impractical outfits- a pale yellow sundress with a headband to match. It would’t be very useful for her assembling her furniture- but maybe it would be better for making friends with her neighbors.

To be honest, Stress had never been very good at socializing. She’d lived in her old city for five years, and she’d had just as many friends there as she did in her new town. Mostly it was because other people didn’t seem to be as obsessed with random topics as she was, and if she couldn’t talk to them about their obsessions what even was there to talk about? To this day, she still didn’t know. Something about The Weather or Recent Politics. The prospect was… not very interesting, but that was what it took to make friends.

Stress trotted downstairs and only slightly ruined her cute, feminine look with a pair of socks that had worn thin long ago and the same beat-up sneakers she wore everywhere. Oh well, no one would be looking at her shoes anywhere. Stress grabbed the bag of essentials she always kept by the door and stepped outside.

“‘Ello!” she called out. Bdubs was still washing the car, polishing the now-gleaming hubcaps. He stood up at her voice and waved.

“Oh hey, Stress!” he called, trotting halfway across the street. “Uh, fancy seeing you here!”

“Outside my house?” Stress asked, tilting her head. Bdubs winced, his thick, arched eyebrows furrowing, but the reaction only lasted a second before he was back to grinning easily.

“Yeah, it’s pretty early,” he shrugged. He was still shirtless. Stress did NOT look at the tan on his shoulders that faded to a lighter bronze across his chest, or the strong stockiness of his waist, or how his beat-up, low waisted shorts didn’t quite fit his-

Bdubs crossed his arms over his stomach, coughing awkwardly. Oh no. He’d noticed! “Well, you know, there’s a lot to do in the day!” Stress said, a little too loud. She sighed with relief as Bdubs grinned wider.

“Oh, I couldn’t agree more!” he yelled boisterously. “You know, most people want to stay up all night and party, but do you know what’s really priceless? Being awake before everyone else and seeing the sunrise.”

Stress beamed. “Oh, I agree!” she said. “Early morning is the best time to be awake. It’s all quiet except for the birdsong, and you can start your day slow instead of rushing to get to work.”

“Exactly! Honestly, why doesn’t everyone do it?” Bdubs said, gesturing wildly.

“Why doesn’t everyone do what?” The door to Bdubs’ house opened, and a man with a black mask covering one half of his face and bleached white hair covering the other half stepped out. Bdubs grimaced, sighing heavily.

“Good morning, Etho,” he droned. “Stress, this is Etho, one of my housemates. Etho, this is Stress.”

Etho gave Stress the once over before glancing up at Bdubs. Despite his obscured face, Stress could see a mischievous glimmer in his eyes. “Nice to meet you, Stress,” he said with a nod. “Hey Bdubs, what’s it like talking to someone shorter than you for once?”

Bdubs sputtered. “What- I- I have talked to many people shorter than me! Quite a few people, actually! Maybe you haven’t noticed, but I am of _perfectly average_ height!” Etho snorted, and even Stress couldn’t suppress a chuckle. Bdubs’ angry red face turned even redder at the sound. 

“Whatever you say, bro,” Etho said. 

“I’m- how dare you!” Bdubs shouted after him. “I will- I will shoot you with this dish soap!” he threatened. Etho laughed, but still ducked away when Bdubs waved the bottle his way.

Once Etho had retreated, Bdubs turned to Stress. “I’m sorry about my housemate,” he said. “He’s not normally that annoying. Well, to other people. He’s always that annoying to me.”

Stress grinned. “Well, if you need a friend who won’t call you short for no reason, feel free to call on me!” Should she give him her number? She lived across the street, but she wouldn’t always be home, of course- “Or you could call on me, literally,” she added. “Can I give you my number?”

Bdubs gaped at her. “Oh! OH! Um, I don’t have my phone on me, let me find that,” he muttered. He darted back into the house and returned in under a minute, panting and holding out his smartphone. He stumbled down the lawn, passing it to Stress. “Um, you can just type it in-“

Stress did just thank. “Fank you!” She chirped. She ran a hand through her hair, warmed up by the sun. “Anyway, I need to meet the other neighbors. Can’t be playing favorites,” she joked. 

Bdubs nodded curtly. “Of course not,” he said. “I can’t have people being too jealous of me, they’ve already got so little!” He jokingly flexed, and Stress bit her lip.

“Well, hopefully I’ll talk to you soon!” Stress said. She quickly turned and dashed down the street. Her heart was fluttering and her stomach felt tight and burning hot. Holy shit, she was having a full blown freakout over Bdubs and she barely even knew the guy! If everyone in the neighborhood was that nice she’d probably die.

It was only when she was on the corner of Spruce Road and Oak Lane when she realized her car was parked outside her house, back towards Bdubs. She paused in the middle of her stride and stood on the street. She was a clown. A clown without makeup or giant shoes. 

As she turned around, she caught sight of another one of the residents of Hermit Hollows. She was tall, somehow gangly and awkward despite having defined muscles, with long blonde hair pulled into a high ponytail. She quickly turned away from Stress, then looked back and waved, a small smile on her face.

Stress waved back. “Hey!” she said, trotting over. The tall woman looked slightly afraid of her, but she walked to meet her.

“Hello,” she said, grinning. “You’re the new girl in town, right?”

“That’s me!” Stress said. “I’m Stress.”

“False,” the tall woman said. She extended a hand, and Stress enthusiastically shook it. “Its nice to have another lady around. I swear this town is like a fraternity.”

Stress cocked her head. “What are you talking about?”

“You haven’t met many people here, have you?” False asked. 

“I mean, no.” Stress squirmed a little under the other woman’s intense blue gaze.

False shrugged, “I mean, there are like two dozen people living here, max, but still. Until you moved in it was just me and Cleo, everyone else was a guy. I guess mostly guys were crazy enough to move into the middle of the woods, a mile away from normal people.”

“Or maybe being away from normal people was a plus,” Stress suggested. “I mean, I’ve only been here for three days, and already people are so much nicer to me than in the city. I guess you guys have less “fresh meat” to go around,” Stress shrugged. 

False cocked her head. “I mean, we’re pretty close knit. It’s one of the positives of a small town.”

“Oh,” Stress said. Shit. Were False and Bdubs merely being polite?

False quickly dispelled half of her worries. “Hey, you should get dinner with me!” she said, her eyes brightening. “I mean, if you have the time. There’s a really good diner in Casa, I could drive you there. I could introduce you to Cleo.”

“That sounds lovely,” Stress beamed. For the second time in less than an hour, she gave another neighbor her number. 

Stress could hardly concentrate as she tried to care about what chairs would look best in her living room and how long it would take her to drive to the greenhouse she’d be working at. She’d done those things before. Now, being invited out to dinner, because someone genuinely thought she was interesting and wanted to know her better- THAT was exciting. When the text from False came though, she squealed out loud with delight. It was time to go make some real friends!


	4. Girl Gang

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stress's POV  
> Trigger warnings: teasing about crushes

Dark trees blurred by in a haze of green leaves and purple shadows. Stress leaned against the window, fogging up the glass as she admired the wild forest. She knew, logically, the woods around Hermit Hollows were only a few square miles, but they felt infinite in comparison to the stifling city she had lived in for the last five years of her life. A fox darted along the side of the road before disappearing into the bush again.

“You look like you’ve never seen a tree before,” Cleo mocked. Stress turned to face the redheaded girl sitting next to her. 

“I have seen a tree,” she scoffed. “Just… not a real forest, for a long time.” She looked out the window again. The trees thinned as the car approached the town of Casa. It was a small, quaint place, with only a few teenagers still out, but it was massive compared to the random bundle of houses that was Hermit Hollows. False pulled into a beat-up parking lot outside the biggest building in the area- a neon lit diner with a sign proclaiming it to be “The Full Moon Diner”.

“We’re here,” False said. She climbed out of the driver’s seat while Cleo and Stress exited the back. 

“Thank you, chauffeur,” Cleo said dramatically. False chuckled. She sprinted to the door and opened it, ushering Stress and Cleo into the diner.

“False, Cleo!” A woman behind the counter of the diner waved, trotting over to them. “Who’s the new girl?

“Hey Pearl,” False grinned. “This is Stress, she moved in like, three days ago. Stress, this is Pearl. She’s my boss.”

Pearl shrugged. “I don’t like to call myself the boss-“

“You’re my boss,” False repeated.

“Hi,” Stress said shyly. Pearl had accidentally attracted the attention of all the patrons, and even though she knew they couldn’t possibly be judging her she felt uncomfortable under their gaze. 

“Let me get you The Booth,” Pearl said with a wink. False and Cleo ran ahead of her, seemingly knowing where she was going. Stress followed behind, to a round booth set against a window looking out into a field, and in the distance, the woods.

“Thanks Pearl!” False said, sliding in next to the window. Cleo sat on one end, and Stress took the other side. 

“You’re like, a VIP here!” Stress giggled. 

False shrugged modestly. “Employee privileges. That and Pearl is just nice.”

Cleo waggled her eyebrows. “Being friends with False does have its benefits,” she said, then cackled. “So, do you like Hermit Hollows?”

“It’s really great,” Stress gushed. “I was worried about the move, but honestly this is so much better than the city. I mean, I lived there for years and my neighbors never said hello, and look at me now!” 

False grinned. “You got us!” she said perceptively.

“Yeah! And my other neighbors are pretty cool too! I’m right across the street from this really sweet boy, Bdubs-“

“Bdubs is sweet?” Cleo asked.

Stress cocked her head. “He is!” she said, a little offended. “He helped me move my things into my house, and he brought me homemade pasta because he was worried I wouldn’t have anything to eat.” She grinned at the memory.

False and Cleo looked at each other, raising their eyebrows. “What?” Stress asked.

“That’s not like Bdubs,” Cleo said. “Don’t get me wrong, he’s not mean, but he’s always been kind of…”

“Abrasive?” False suggested. 

“Yeah, abrasive!” Cleo said. “I bet he’s sweet on you!”

Stress snorted, color rising in her face. “He’s not, you’re just being harsh,” she said, waving her hand. She couldn’t picture sweet Bdubs being mean to anyone- at least not without provocation. 

“I am not,” Cleo stated. “I’m saying, Bdubs hasn’t ever brought home cooked food to anyone- not when I moved in, certainly, not when someone gets sick- he hardly even brings food to parties!”

“Whatever,” Stress shrugged. “I’ve only known him a few days. But so far he’s been nothing but a gentleman.”

False bit her lip. “Whatever you say.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing,” False said. “It just sounds like you two like each other an awful lot.”

Stress grumbled, hiding behind a menu. “Just because he’s nice to me doesn’t mean he’s in love with me,” he muttered.

“Fair,” Cleo said. “Maybe he just decided not to scare you off.”

False nodded. “I mean, if guys only were nice to girls because they were crushing on us nobody would ever be nice to me.”

“Hey,” Cleo said. “You know plenty of guys think you’re pretty. I know I would go for you if I didn’t have my eye on someone else.”

“Who?” Stress asked.

“Nobody,” Cleo said hastily.

“Who?” Stress asked again, this time to False.

“Oh, don’t you dare!” Cleo growled.

“I won’t say,” False smirked. “But Stress, you know how Cleo thought Bdubs is in love with you because he’s nice to you? Look out for guys being nice to Cleo.”

Cleo’s pale skin reddened. “He’s nice to me because he’s my friend!”

Before the argument could escalate, a waitress came by. “Have you guys decided what you want to eat?” Stress quickly realized she did not. She frantically scanned the menu as Cleo and False ordered. In her old home, all the restaurants were ridiculously fancy and expensive, whether they be fine dining or twenty-five-dollar plates of tapas. The food at this restaurant was significantly cheaper and honestly looked way better. 

“And for you, miss?” Oh shit, the waitress was talking to her now. 

“Um, can I have a Ceasar salad?” Stress asked. The choices overwhelmed her. “And a plate of french fries, if I can get that without a main.” The waitress nodded and left, and Stress put her head in her hands.

“Bleh, I’m not used to talking to people,” she said. 

“Same,” Cleo snorted. “Mostly I just follow a script if I don’t care about a person.” She began moving robotically, a blank happy expression on her face. “Hello! How are you! Have a nice day!” she said, all false cheery, before breaking into a high-pitched cackle again.

Stress blinked. “It’s the same way with me!” she said. “I don’t know what to say if I can’t do small talk and I can’t talk about gardening.” She blushed, realizing she’d revealed her interest. “I really like gardening.”

“Nice,” Cleo said, nodding. “With me it’s bugs, or sculpting.”

“I like martial arts and dancing, that’s why I teach them,” False added.

“Ooh, you teach?” Stress asked. “What’s that like?” False grinned and began talking animatedly about her job, almost knocking aver her drink with her wild gestures. The food at the Full Moon was good, but Stress hardly tasted it as she chatted with her new friends. They were  _ normal _ \- not normal to the rest of the world, but normal to Stress. For the first time in ages, she didn’t feel awkward talking about her interests, because the other girls were exactly as obsessed with theirs. 

Soon, the food was gone, the bill was paid (False had kindly offered to cover the tab) and the orange sunset outside had faded to a purple dusk. Stress leaned against False’s car window, happy but exhausted. The lights of Hermit Hollows came into view, and False pulled up next to Stress’s house. “Hey, thanks for joining us,” Cleo said as Stress opened the door.

“You should thank False, she invited me,” Stress shrugged. “And, erm, thank you False.”

“My pleasure,” she said mildly. Stress stepped out onto the street, and False pulled away. Stress rubbed her eyes as she trudged up the cracked sidewalk to her home. The furniture she had bought still stood piled in boxes on the floor, but she had no energy to set them up. Instead, she went straight to bed.

Before she turned out the light, Stress picked up her bullet journal. She couldn’t check off everything, but there was one task she had completed in full- she’d not only met her neighbors, but made some friends. Smiling, Stress checked the little box.


	5. Behind the Scenes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Doc's POV  
> Trigger warning: appearance-based teasing

Doc grinned at the texts from False. As he’d suspected, Stress was developing feelings for Bdubs, and as he’d suspected, False had told him exactly what she’d said when she’d taken her out to dinner. His plan was working flawlessly. It was about time for another episode of manipulation.

You —> Scar

You: Scar, you are the best party planner in this town right?

Scar: Well they didn’t vote me the unofficial mayor for no reason

Scar: They voted me the unofficial mayor because I was the only one who really campaigned :)

You: Yes. 

You: Anyway, do you need any help with that block party you were talking about?

Scar: Oh yeah the block party haha

Scar: I was totally gonna plan that

Scar: But u know sometimes my body decides not to work not much I can do about that

You: I completely understand, which is why I offered my help.

You: If you can tell me what to do, I can arrange for food and drinks, decorations, et cetera.

Scar: Actually that would be super helpful

Scar: Do u think people would be able to come on Saturday?

You: I don’t see why not!

Doc allowed himself a soft evil laugh. Nobody even doubted his motives! At this rate, he’d be 150 dollars richer by the end of the week!

“What are you laughing about?” Bdubs asked. He stepped through the doorway and closed it behind him, wiping his brow.

“Nothing,” Doc said in a very non-suspicious way. 

Bdubs squinted. “Okay,” he said. A car door slammed outside. Doc didn’t get up from his work, but he could tell Stress had come home from how Bdubs lingered at the window. He leaned his head on the glass and grinned slightly, the fucking dork. Doc waited for Bdubs to stop being distracted by Stress.

“So, how was work?” he prompted. 

Bdubs shook out of his daze. “I mean, it’s never good,” he shrugged. “But it was tolerable today. Didn’t have to carry anything too unwieldy.” He filled up a glass of water and poured it over his head. The water dripped down his neck and onto his shirt- already stained with pen ink and sweat. They were just working clothes, but Bdubs’ ordinary wardrobe was… not much better. 

Luckily, Doc had told Keralis he was going to give Bdubs a makeover.

“Have you spoken to Stress recently?” Doc asked mildly. 

“I mean, yeah! When you had me washing the car, she, uh, came to talk to me. I guess you had the right idea, huh?”

“What can I say? I’m always right!” Doc cheered. “Also, wonderful idea to take off your shirt.”

Bdubs’ already red face got redder. “Ah, yeah. It just got wet, is all.”

“Of course it did,” Doc said condescendingly. “But next time you speak to Stress you will probably be clothed.”

“Probably.”

“So, you need better clothes,” Doc said, since Bdubs didn’t seem to be getting his point.

“What’s wrong with my clothes?” Bdubs yelled. “They’re fine! They may not be ‘Gucci’ or whatever, but they fit! They aren’t ripped up, unlike YOUR ‘designer’ jeans!”

“The shirt you’re wearing right now is covered in pen marks,” Doc observed.

“Yeah, well, that’s a warehouse shirt, not a socializing shirt,” Bdubs griped. 

“Do you plan to change before you go outside again?” Doc asked. Bdubs didn’t answer. “Exactly.”

“Can you stop roasting me?” Bdubs snapped. 

“I’m sorry, I did not intend to insult you.”

“Myeh, I didn’t intend to roast your clothes, Bdubs,” Bdubs mocked softly.

“Anyway, Scar is having a block party this Saturday-“ Doc ignored Bdubs visible confusion- “And you WILL need better clothes. I can spot you some money, and Grian can probably help you pick something out.”

“Um, thanks?” Bdubs said. “But why?”

“Didn’t I say I would help you get with Stress?” Doc asked. 

Bdubs shrugged. “I didn’t think you were taking it seriously.”

Doc smirked. “I take everything seriously,” he said. “But I will stop bothering you now. You need rest.”

“Ugh, yeah.” Bdubs grabbed a bag of chips from the pantry and dragged himself out of the room. Doc picked up his phone again.

You --> Grian

You: Grian, do you have any reservations on Friday at 5pm?

Grian: Not so far? Why

You: Then I’d like to make a reservation, for Bdubs.

Grian: Why isn’t he making his own reservation

You: He doesn’t necessarily want to, but he also isn’t going to impress his crush with stupid clothes.

Grian: Yeah lol

Grian: Put in a request on the website and I’ll give it priority <3

You: Thank you Grian, you are the best.

Grian: I know <3


	6. Obligatory Makeover Scene

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bdubs' POV  
> Trigger warnings: body image issues and insecurities

Bdubs rubbed his arms as he walked into the over-air-conditioned clothing store. The clean white tiles squeaked against his sneakers. The bright blueish-white light made the racks of pressed shirts and flowing skirts almost shimmer. For the first time in a while, he felt like his worn out, stained clothes weren’t quite enough.

“Bdubs!” Grian caught his eye from down the long central aisle of the clothing store, jogging lightly to greet him at the door. It was weird to see him in his tailored monochrome work clothes instead of his usual baggy red sweatshirt, but his cheeky grin and unruly blonde hair was the same. “I thought you weren’t gonna show, man!”

“I got caught in traffic, sorry,” Bdubs said. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting.”

“Oh, no, don’t worry.” Grian waved him off. “But lets get to styling you, right?”

“Right.” Bdubs swallowed nervously. Everyone else in the store was already well-dressed. “So, where do we even start? Do I just, grab some clothes?” he asked, rubbing the fabric of a pair of dress pants between his fingers. 

“If you want,” Grian shrugged. He let Bdubs wander off, looking at the clothes on display. They were immaculately ironed, almost stiff, with shiny buttons and perfect stitching. Most of them had designer labels. Bdubs bought all his clothing second-hand because it was cheaper.

He held a plain white dress shirt up. The tag said it was medium but it looked small. When he held it up to himself, the shoulders of the shirt didn’t come close to accommodating his width.

“You’re uncomfortable,” Grian observed. Bdubs yelped, whirling to face the shorter man. “C’mon, we can hang out in a dressing room while I explain the basics.” Bdubs nodded gratefully, putting the shirt back on the rack before following Grian to the back of the store. The dressing rooms were spacious enough for both of them, and equally bright white to the display area.

“Okay,” Grian said, sitting on the pale wooden bench. “We start by working out the basics- colors, fits, and what you want to look like, style wise.”

“Okay,” Bdubs said. He leaned against the wall. “I would like you to know that I don’t know what any of that means.”

“We’ll start with color,” Grian said gently. “What kind of colors do you usually wear?”

Bdubs swallowed. “White? Grey? I don’t know, I just wear what I have.”

Grian nodded. “Really, it’s a shame, because you could look really good in bright colors. You already have really nice, dark hair.”

Bdubs blushed. “Stop flattering me,” he grumbled.

“I’m not, don’t get cocky,” Grian teased. “But we can see how you look in some brighter colors. As for style… who do you look up to, style wise?”

“Nobody?” Bdubs said. He slouched. “I’ve never really thought about clothes before. Its not like I follow models on instagram or whatever.”

“What about our friends?” Grian asked. “Who do you think is the best-dressed guy in Hermit Hollows?”

Bdubs thought, tapping his foot. “Besides you?” he said. 

“Not necessarily,” Grian said, preening a little at the complement.

“Eh, I was joking,” Bdubs shrugged. “To be honest, Ren. I don’t know how he does it, because I don’t know if he even cares about what he wears, but somehow he always looks good.”

Grian grinned. “Okay, so that’s a more masculine but casual style,” he said. “So you don’t want to be looking at dress shirts, but maybe some more fitted t-shirts and nicer jeans?”

“Um, okay,” Bdubs said. That didn’t sound too scary, he admitted. “You know this place better than me, where do I find those?”

Grian led him out of the changing room and dragged him around the store. “Favorite colors?” he asked.

“Red and grey,” Bdubs answered. “Do I need more?”

“Lets start there,” Grian said. He snaked through the aisles of monochrome shirts and pre-ripped blue jeans to a display of flannels. He grabbed the sleeve of a red and black plaid shirt. “Does this look nice?”

Bdubs picked up the hanger. The fabric swayed menacingly. “The colors are nice?” he said. 

“What’s wrong with it?” Grian asked. 

“It’s a little small, isn’t it?” Bdubs asked. He held it up to himself. “Yeah, this is gonna stick to me like a second skin.”

Grian eyed Bdubs’ current shirt, which hung loosely off his shoulders and well past the waistband of his pants. “What’s wrong with that?”

Bdubs let out a long, hissing breath. “You know,” he said. “I’m not exactly, physically fit?”

“You lift heavy objects for a living,” Grian pointed out. “You work out and go to bed early every day.”

“You know what I mean,” Bdubs sighed. He grabbed his gut, squishing the extra flesh. “I’m fat. I don’t want it to be, like, on display.”

Grian scoffed. “Dude, I promise you, you’re making yourself look a lot worse by drowning yourself in clothes that don’t fit. Let’s try on a new outfit-“ he said, grabbing a pair of dark blue jeans- “And you don’t have to like it, but… see how you look.”

“Okay,” Bdubs sighed. He reluctantly followed Grian back to the changing room. The man’s shiny-shod feet tapped outside as he tugged on the rough pants and the attention-grabbing shirt. 

Bdubs shifted his shoulders and pulled at the waistband of his pants. The fabric pressed in on him much more than he’d like- especially around his hips. Ugh, he probably looked like a woman. And not even an attractive woman- like a fifty-year-old suburban mom who spent all her time gossiping about her neighbors and neglecting her children. The fabric was stretched and bunched around his upper thighs. Gross.

The shirt wasn’t much better- it hung way open unbuttoned, and if he tried to button it it stretched dangerously. It wasn’t uncomfortable- it just drew way too much attention to his belly.

“You done yet?” Grian asked, knocking on the flimsy changing room door.

“You can come in,” he said, much more quietly than his usual boisterous tone. Hopefully Grian would agree that these clothes sucked.

Grian opened the door and whistled. “A marked improvement,” he said, nodding. 

Bdubs gritted his teeth. “Really?” he said incredulously.

Grian nodded. “Yeah, but tuck in your shirt,” he instructed, sitting on the bench.

Bdubs grumbled, but obliged. His shirt stretched over his gut as he shoved it down the front of his pants. “There, you happy?”

“I think I should be asking you that,” Grian said. “Dude, look in the mirror.”

Bdubs faced the wall-sized mirror. His eyes widened as he glanced over himself. His hips didn’t look as wide, his belly as big as he’d worried. They actually looked smaller than before- and the tightness of the fabric made it look like he wasn’t hiding. The red of the flannel shirt brought out rosy tones in his cheeks he’d never noticed before, and as he ruffled up his hair he saw the fabric accentuate his shoulders. He was still far from perfect, but he didn’t look bad. 

“I gotta say,” he admitted. “This is… an improvement.”

“I think red is your color,” Grian affirmed. “I brought you this too, do you like it?” Bdubs took a second flannel shirt, this one in forest green. 

“Looks nice,” he said, holding it up to himself in the mirror. The cool color made his skin practically glow in contrast.

“Okay. So, do you have like, the basics?” Grian asked. Bdubs cocked his head, and he continued. “You know, neutral colored t-shirts, jeans, socks-“

“I have socks, Grian,” Bdubs grumbled. Grian snorted.

“I was just checking!” Grian giggled as Bdubs shoved him a little. “But that’s good- you can layer those flannels over different clothes and they’ll keep clean for longer.” 

Bdubs nodded. “Alright, Professor Charleston,” he said. Grian snorted. “But seriously, thanks.” He sighed. “You know, nobody ever tells guys about these things. You’re just expected to, I guess, know it? Or just look bad. I know it must suck to be a girl, ‘cause people expect you to look flawless all the time, but I’d like at least a little guidance.”

Grian smirked. “That’s what I’m here for!” he said. His demeanor softened a little as he patted Bdubs on the arm. “Listen, man, you look good.” Bdubs rolled his eyes, blushing. “You just need to not mess it up with ugly clothes,” Grian continued.

“Alright,” Bdubs chuckled. “I’m gonna get the shirts. Can you leave so I can put my old pants on?”

“You bet!” Grian popped up from his seat and bounced out. Bdubs took off the tight jeans and put his sweatpants on. They really did make him look bulkier, huh? He couldn’t believe he couldn’t see it before. Bdubs grabbed the flannels and stepped out, leaving the jeans behind- he had some pairs of his own that deserved to see the sun.

“Let’s go- oh, holy fuck,” Bdubs chuckled, looking at the price tags on the shirts. “Are these things made of gold or something?”

“They’re not,” Grian said, lowering his voice, “This store is very overpriced, so if you want anything besides the two shirts, you go to another store and remember- dark and saturated colors on top, neutrals on the bottom, and tuck in your damn shirts.” He grinned, patting Bdubs on the arm.

“Alright,” Bdubs sighed. At least Doc had paid for Grian’s styling services, or he’d be running himself dry. “Maybe I will look for similar shirts elsewhere.”

“Good call,” Grian muttered. He brightened up, saying “Well, I do hope this helped. To be honest I’ve been wanting to make you over for a while.”

“Hey!” Bdubs said, smacking Grian with a coat hanger. “I’m gonna bounce, but thank you so much, man.”

“Yes, yes, shower me in praise,” Grian said. “Now, I have another person coming in soon, so go, fly my little bird, and take your new knowledge to a different store.” Bdubs hung the shirts on the “reshelf” hanger and trotted out of the store, Grian waving him off with a handkerchief. That dramatic fucker, Bdubs thought fondly. 

The shirts Bdubs had found at the thrift shops didn’t fit quite as well as the expensive ones, but he thought the colors looked nice. As he folded them and put them in his closet, he practically bounced with delight. It would be nice to think about his clothes, and to not feel like he was messing up. Bdubs straightened up, and tucked his shirt into his pants.


	7. Can I Have This Dance? (I Don't Know, Can You?)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stress's POV  
> Trigger warnings: drinking alcohol  
> The song in this chapter is 17 by Pink Sweat$

Stress leaped up and down, practically squealing with excitement. She never really liked makeup, but with Cleo’s expert hand, just a bit of eyeliner and lipstick had transformed her completely. She straightened her rose crown, the purplish flowers matching her deep magenta dress. The only thing marring her gothic look was the enormous grin on her face.

“Oh, I love it I love it I love it!” she cried, pulling Cleo into a bear hug. The other woman yelped, hugging back but twisting her head away. 

“Hey, you’re gonna smudge my makeup!” Cleo giggled. Stress broke the hug, rocking on her heels. Cleo straightened her laurel crown, brushing down her jade green dress. “But seriously, are you ready?”

“You bet,” Stress giggled. “I can’t wait to meet everyone!”

“Shouldn’t take long,” False said. She was wearing a dark teal dress with a matching crown. “There’s only, what, two dozen people living here?”

Stress looked at a pretend watch on her wrist. “Hmmm, if the party lasts till midnight I can spend fifteen minutes on each person!” 

False giggled. “Hopefully, you’ll want to spend more time with _some_ people,” she said.

“Wha-“ Stress started. “Oh, you’re still talking about Bdubs.”

“I didn’t say anything,” False smirked. 

Stress rolled her eyes. “Alright, let’s go.” The girls trotted out of Stress’s (now fully furnished!) house, making the short walk to Jungle Drive, where the party was located. 

Someone’s Christmas lights were strung across the street, basking the party in a rainbow glow. People stood in clumps, drinking from plastic cups and chatting. Music thumped from a pair of speakers at the end of the one-way drive, and the setting sun bathed the party in golden light.

Stress turned away from the tight bundles of friends and headed straight for the drinks and snacks. Everything from store-bought cookies and drinks to a bowl of homemade punch with star-shaped fruit floating on the surface and some brownies that Stress didn’t entirely trust. She poured herself a cup of the punch to calm her nerves. As Bdubs and his housemates appeared around the corner, Stress realized the whole neighborhood must be out. She took a gulp of her drink.

“Good evening!” Stress nearly spat it out as someone tapped her shoulder. “Sorry,” he said as Stress turned around,

“Hey,” she said. “I think I’ve seen you before… do you live across the street from me?”

“Yep!” the man said. “You can call me Beef, sorry for not introducing myself earlier.”

“Oh, it’s no problem,” Stress giggled. “I can’t believe I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Stress.”

“Bdubs talked about you a ton…” Beef seemed to cut himself off. “So, it’s nice to finally meet you! I guess I can look forward to seeing that old house fixed up, huh?”

“Well, hopefully,” Stress said. “With all the great people in this neighborhood I might not have time for all those repairs.”

Beef shrugged. “You could ask us for help.”

“So I could!” One down, like, twenty neighbors to go, Stress thought. Someone had turned up the music, the bass bumping into her like an over-excited dog. Stress took a sip of her drink and realized she had already drained it. She crushed the plastic cup in her hand- it wasn’t a good idea to drink so much so early.

Stress shuffled through the crowds, quickly introducing herself to the people. Hello, my name is Stress, what’s yours? What do you like to do? Where can I find you? She met Zed, Tango, and Impulse, a trio of punk-ish boys that lived next-door to False, Joe, who according to Cleo had approximately seven hundred dogs and thirteen pets according to himself, and Keralis, a smooth-talking man who was probably wearing too much jewelry for a block party. 

But really, she’d been looking for Bdubs the whole time. When she’d gone to the DJ table to ask Etho where he was, he’d said he was here, but she couldn’t find him anywhere. Was he avoiding her? Why? Sure, they hadn’t talked much that week, but she hadn’t done anything to offend him- as far as she knew. 

As Stress approached the drink table, she recognized Bdubs’ last housemate. He was tall, watching the party with the eye he hadn’t covered with a patch, and sipping a drink. “Hello,” she said, walking up beside him. “I’m Stress. You live across the street from me, right?”

“I do. I’m Doc, it’s nice to meet you.” The tall man extended a hand, and Stress shook it awkwardly. 

“I’m sorry I haven’t introduced myself already,” she said. “So, um…” 

“Are you looking for Bdubs?” Doc asked. His grin was a little too wide.

“Yes, actually,” Stress said. “I’m sorry, I’ve just been looking for him all night and-“

Doc waved her off. “I understand. You don’t know me, but he’s your friend. I’ll try to find the little bastard, I know he didn’t leave-“

“Who are you calling little!” Bdubs walked up from the other end of the table. “Hello Stress, you look lovely-“ she resisted the urge to grin- “You, however-“ he addressed Doc- “Look like an idiot. I can’t believe I let you critique my fashion sense when you’re wearing _ that _ .”

Doc rolled his eyes, rolling up the sleeves of his long, somewhat burned white coat. “Whatever you say, man. I’ll leave you now.” He chuckled to himself and strode away, leaving Stress and Bdubs alone despite the dozens of people chattering and dancing around them.

“Hi, Bdubs,” Stress said. “I was looking for you.”

The man scratched the back of his head. Someone had lent him a brown leather jacket- it hung low, around his hips, but it wasn’t quite wide enough for his shoulders. “Yeah, I’m sorry about that,” he said. “I really wanted to talk to you, but, uh, I guess I was a little scared.”

“Of what?” Stress chuckled. “I mean, I’d understand if I was Cleo, but I’m nothing special.”

“I beg to differ,” Bdubs said awkwardly loud. He coughed. “Look, uh, I don’t know if you could tell but I’ve had a bit of a crush on you since I first saw you. It has not gotten easier since. I just think its so cute when you get all excited and how you want to be friends with everyone and how you just moved to the middle of nowhere because you wanted adventure and I’m rambling and making a fool of myself again, that’s great, everything’s fine!” He ended his rant with a nervous, high pitched chuckle.

Stress blinked, her face so hot she could swear it was turning the cool night air warm. “I- uh-“ she squeaked. Bdubs liked her. He’d said it right to her face! Suddenly, she realized she hadn’t heard him stutter talking to anyone else- but he was practically falling over himself around her. Oh. My lord. He thought she was pretty!

“Stress? Are you okay?” Bdubs swallowed hard. “Can you hear me? Should- should I leave?”

“I- um- no, don’t leave!” Stress stuttered. “I’m just a little surprised is all-“ Bdubs grimaced- “In a good way! Seriously, I moved in a week ago and not only do I have friends, but now a hot guy has a crush on me?”

Bdubs coughed. “You think I’m hot?” he squeaked.

“Totally!” Stress giggled.

“Well, uh, I think you’re pretty hot too,” Bdubs said, his face going practically pink. The thumping punk rock song that had been playing suddenly ended, and the opening baseline of a much softer song started playing. “Stress, would you like to dance with me?” Bdubs asked softly.

“I would,” Stress said. She grabbed Bdubs hand and pulled him out into the street. The sun had set, but a few rays of light peeked over the horizon, staining the sky a deep azure. Bdubs wrapped his arms around Stress’s back, leaning down until his nose brushed her hair. Stress shivered.

“Just so you know,” Bdubs muttered, “I have no idea how to dance.”

“Neither do I,” Stress whispered back. Bdubs chuckled, taking one of her hands and stepping with her from side to side. 

“I guess we’ll have to work it out as we go,” he said. Stress grinned and spun the two around in a circle, nearly unbalancing as the chorus approached.

_ So promise you’ll never change, and I’ll always be the same, _ it went.  _ We’ll be dancin’ the same groove when we’re ninety-two, the same as seventeen _ . The air was getting colder, but Bdubs was practically radiating warmth. Stress leaned her head against his chest and sighed.

“Can I dip you?” Bdubs asked.

“Go ahead,” Stress grinned, and suddenly he was lowering her down, almost to the ground. She wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling his hands on the small of her back. Stress leaned back even further, not afraid at all that she would fall.

Bdubs pulled her back up, picking her up and spinning her around before setting her down on the pavement. Stress’s knees were weak, and she wasn’t sure it was entirely from not having her weight on them. 

“Smooth,” she giggled nervously, pressing against Bdubs chest again so she didn’t have to look in his eyes. She was already a mess, and the soft look on his face was somehow too intense for her. She could barely resist squealing at other people’s romantic gestures, and now that so much affection was being directed at her, she didn’t know what to do. Stress shut her eyes and let Bdubs lead the dance until the final note of the song.

It was then that Stress realized her entire body was pressed up against Bdubs. She leaped back, blushing even harder. “Um, thank you for dancing with me,” she muttered. “It was…” she couldn’t find an adjective strong enough. “Gorgeous. It was gorgeous.”

“Just like you,” Bdubs said, his chest heaving and his face red despite the slow pace of the dance. 

And then Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley started playing.

“Dammit, Joe!” Cleo shouted, immediately chasing the man away from the speaker setup. Etho jogged over to find a less meme-worthy song, but a few of the hermits started yelling at him to keep it on. 

Bdubs snorted. “Once there’s a more suitable song, want to dance again?”

“Absolutely,” Stress said immediately. “I need a drink.” She sprinted to the table and poured herself a cup of water. She downed the drink in one go.

“So,” False said, sipping her own drink in a much more restrained way. “You gonna write that off as just being nice?”

“Nope,” Stress said. “At least, I hope not.” Across the block, Bdubs was grabbing Doc by the shoulders and telling him something very enthusiastically. She could hear his loud, rough voice from where she stood. She wondered if anyone else would think his voice was that cute.

Doc gave Bdubs a shove, and he slunk over to the drinks table. “Hey, False,” he greeted before turning his full attention to Stress. “So, like, can we call tonight a date?”

“Absolutely,” she grinned. “And can we call next Saturday another date?”

Bdubs gaped. “Oh! Um, yes, I will clear my schedule-“ Stress giggled.

“Thank you. I’m afraid I don’t know a lot about this town, but we could have a picnic in the woods?”

“That sounds wonderful,” Bdubs said sincerely. “Dance with me again?”

“Gladly,” Stress said, and Bdubs grabbed her hand and pulled her into the street.


	8. 10 Months Later

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bdubs' and Doc's POV  
> Trigger warnings: Melancholy, betting

Bdubs stared around what had once been his room. The walls were bare, the wardrobe open and empty. His bed was still there, but the sheets, blankets, and pillows had already been packed away. The white room looked dusty and small with all the personal objects stripped from it.

“Once you’re gone, I’m gonna turn your room into a sex dungeon,” Etho said.

“Go ahead,” Bdubs shrugged. “It’s not my room anymore.” He turned and trotted down the stairs, carefully balancing his last box of belongings against his chest. 

“You ready to go?” Stress asked, beaming at him.

“Can you give me a moment?” Bdubs asked. He turned to look at the kitchen he’d eaten breakfast in for five years, with its cracked tiles and “ironic” frog-shaped teakettle. “I can’t believe I’m actually moving out. It, like, feels like I’m moving into a whole new life.”

“You’re moving across the street,” Stress pointed out. 

“Still,” Bdubs said. “I mean, I’ve lived with Doc and Etho and Beef since college, and it’s gonna be weird to not see them every day.”

“Hey Bdubs, you forgot this!” Etho thundered down the stairs, brandishing a pink, unicorn themed footed pajama. 

“Dude, you know Stress loves that kind of thing,” Bdubs said. “Even if it was mine, you wouldn’t be lowering her opinion of me.” Etho swallowed. “Also, did you buy that just for this weak prank? I thought better of you.”

“It was on sale,” Etho muttered.

“I kinda like it,” Stress shrugged. “So, if you don’t want-“

Etho hugged the onsie to his chest. “No, that’s okay.”

“Actually, I changed my mind. I won’t miss these losers at all,” Bdubs chuckled. Etho flipped him off. “C’mon, lets go.”

“I want that onsie!” Stress pouted. Etho started edging away from her as she stalked into the house. “C’mon, at least tell me where you got it!” 

“Bdubs.” The man spun around.

“Oh, hey Doc,” he said. “You okay?”

“Yes,” he said. “I just needed to tell you something. Could you step out with me?”

Bdubs followed him. “Man, are you okay?”

Doc nodded, then suddenly teared up. “I’m just proud of you, man,” he whimpered.

Bdubs swallowed. “You… are?”

“Mhm,” Doc said. He sniffed, then said, “I just assumed, you know, you were going to be the tame one,” he said. “You never really did anything crazy like Etho and Beef, but here you are, already moving in with your girlfriend!”

“Aww, dude,” Bdubs said. “Is that supposed to be a veiled insult?”

“That’s the sad thing- I’m not even being snarky right now!” Doc said. He wiped a tear away through his laughter. “I’m turning into a sentimental old man, aren’t I?”

Bdubs shrugged. “There are worse things to be,” he said, and Doc punched him in the shoulder. “Agh! But really, dude, I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“Lies,” Doc said stoically.

“Truth,” Bdubs corrected. “Seriously, if you hadn’t pushed me out of my comfort zone and gotten me to actually talk to her, and put some effort into my appearance, I’d probably still be stuttering at her from across the road.”

“Yes!” Doc said. “I just hope you don’t hate me for it later.”

“Why should I hate you for it?”

Doc smirked. “I expect you’ll be staying up late much more often now that you’ve moved in with Stress.”

“Hey!” Bdubs pushed Doc ineffectively, pouting like a little kid. “I fail to see how this is ANY of your-“

“What are you talking about?” Stress asked, walking down the stairs with the unicorn onsie in her arms.

Doc opened his mouth. “Nothing!” Bdubs chirped. “C’mon, let’s go home.” He grinned at the idea. Home was with Stress now.

She kissed him on the cheek. “Alright! See ya later, Doc!”

“See you,” Doc said, giving one wave after the couple. He watched them disappear into Stress’s house, then walked over and shut the door to his own house.

“There you go,” he said to a bush. “He finally thanked me for making him change his wardrobe, WITHOUT any prompting. You owe me a hundred fifty.”

The bush rustled as Keralis crawled out, brushing dirt off his shirt. “You are a stubborn man, Doc,” he said. “I was willing to drop the bet.”

“That’s news to me,” Doc sneered. “Now please, pay up.”

“It’s been ten months since-“

“I said pay up,” Doc said. “Unless, of course, you’re not the man of honor I thought you were.”

Keralis grumbled and reached into his pocket.


End file.
